Synthesized Backup Set Catalog

1. A method comprising: creating a first backup of a data volume, wherein the data volume comprises first and second data objects; modifying the first and second data objects in the data volume subsequent to the creation of the first backup; creating a second backup of the data volume after the modification of the second data object but before the modification of the first data object; creating a catalog after the modification of the second data object but before the modification of the first data object, wherein the catalog contains information indicating that backup copies of the first and second data objects are contained in the first and second backups, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1 : wherein the catalog contains a first entry indicating that a most recent backup copy of the first data object existing at the time the second backup was created, is contained in the first backup; wherein the catalog contains a second entry indicating that a most recent backup copy of the second data object existing at the time the second backup was created, is contained in the second backup.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising: storing the first catalog on a storage device that stores the first backup set; storing the second catalog on a storage device that stores the second backup set.

4. A method comprising: creating a full backup set and an incremental backup set of a data volume, wherein the data volume comprises n data objects; creating first and second backup catalogs corresponding to the full and incremental backup sets, respectively, wherein each of the first and second backup catalogs comprises n entries corresponding to the n data objects, respectively.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein each entry of the second backup catalog contains a backup identification (ID) identifying the full backup set or the incremental backup set, wherein first and second backup IDs of first and second entries, respectively, of the second backup catalog each backup identify the full and incremental backup sets, respectively.

6. A method comprising: creating a full backup of a data volume, wherein the data volume comprises n data objects; creating an incremental backup of the data volume after modification of one of the data objects in the data volume; creating a first backup catalog corresponding to the full backup; creating a second backup catalog corresponding to the incremental backup, wherein the incremental backup catalog is created as a function of the full backup catalog.

7. A computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer system, wherein the computer system implements a method in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising: creating a first backup of a data volume, wherein the data volume comprises first and second data objects; creating a second backup of the data volume after modification of the second data object but before modification of the first data object; creating a catalog after modification of the second data object but before modification of the first data object, wherein the catalog contains information indicating that backup copies of the first and second data objects are contained in the first and second backups, respectively.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the catalog contains a first entry indicating that a most recent backup copy of the first data object existing at the time the second backup was created, is contained in the first backup; wherein the catalog contains a second entry indicating that a most recent backup copy of the second data object existing at the time the second backup was created, is contained in the second backup.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the method further comprises: storing the first catalog on a storage device that stores the first backup set; storing the second catalog on a storage device that stores the second backup set.

10. A computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer system, wherein the computer system implements a method in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising: creating a full backup set and an incremental backup set of a data volume, wherein the data volume comprises n data objects; creating first and second backup catalogs corresponding to the full and incremental backup sets, respectively, wherein each of the first and second backup catalogs comprises n entries corresponding to the n data objects, respectively.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein each entry of the second backup catalog contains a backup identification (ID) identifying the full backup set or the incremental backup set, wherein first and second backup IDs of first and second entries, respectively, of the second backup catalog each backup identify the full and incremental backup sets, respectively.

12. A computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer system, wherein the computer system implements a method in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising: creating a full backup of a data volume, wherein the data volume comprises n data objects; creating an incremental backup of the data volume after modification of one of the data objects in the data volume; creating a first backup catalog corresponding to the full backup; creating a second backup catalog corresponding to the incremental backup, wherein the incremental backup catalog is created as a function of the full backup catalog.